Tenebrae: The Seven Last Words of Jesus on the Cross - the Word on Hope

I was honored to be part of our church's first Tenebrae service (Latin for darkness or shadow) where we recall the 7 things Jesus said while hanging on the cross. I had the opportunity to study Luke 23: 39 - 43 and provide a short reflection to go along with it. As the second of the 7 words of Jesus, the focus here is on the hope he provides to each of us. 

Luke 23:39-43English Standard Version (ESV)

39 One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him,[a] saying, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!” 40 But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? 41 And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” 42 And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” 43 And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

As Jesus is hanging there on the cross, fully God, yet fully human, he is feeling the very real pain of the physical wounds he has sustained and the mental anguish of rejection from the soldiers, the crowd, and even another man condemned to die beside him on his own cross. 

If you've ever felt rejected by everyone around you, it can be one the loneliest, most depressing feelings to know. But during this time, God ordained that there would still be someone beside his Son – someone in the unlikeliest position to be of encouragement. Another thief, hanging beside him. 

In the midst of the rejection and jeering, this man makes several truthful statements. He admits that he is guilty of his crimes and that his punishment is justified. He also correctly declares that Jesus is innocent of his crimes, yet hangs unjustly for them. 

It's this person – a thief, a criminal, justly condemned to death that steps up to support Jesus with his words. Not one of the Twelve, not one of the disciples. And this is the one person that Jesus responds to. The laughing, anger, and mocking earned no response. 

If you've ever had someone come to your side during a season of rejection, it can be the most incredible feeling and give you the strength to face it. Jesus knew what he was doing on that cross, he knew why he was dying, and he was there willingly. But what an encouragement it must have been to hear the words of this criminal – both because of what he said but also the faith that it showed he had. Faith that Jesus is who he says he is, is going where he says he is going, and that this man desires to be with him.

And Jesus turns to this thief and says “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.” Following the admission of his guilt and acceptance of punishment, with nothing he can possibly do to save himself, the thief places his faith in Jesus. With witnesses surrounding the scene, Jesus guarantees this thief's salvation by his own words – the words of God the Son suffering as the Son of Man. 

It strikes me that not only does Jesus show us what is required for salvation – confession of guilt and faith in him – but that there's more going on. There are witnesses all around and it's logical to think Satan himself would not miss this. Appearing weak, vulnerable, and on the verge of defeat, but encouraged, Jesus calls his shot. It's as if he subtly, yet at the same time boldly says, “That's one, wait and see what happens next.”

The Political Rantings of an Intelligent, Rational Individual Who's Really Quite Insane

As I sit here and wonder how to communicate thoughts that I hope will instigate an open-minded discussion on both sides of the table, the reality is that I'm afraid of the backlash that will come from those who don't agree with me. But that's the culture we've created – make people afraid to speak up about what they actually believe as the crushing tide of social change comes rushing through under the banners of progress and tolerance.

I'm not hoping to have a conversation with the left as a representative of the right. I'm hoping that I will talk to you – the intelligent, rational individual who holds dearly to your beliefs and values. I'm hoping that you're willing to sit down with me – an intelligent, rational individual who holds dearly to his beliefs and values. Those are the terms that I'm setting for this conversation. If we can't agree to that and one or both of us insist on holding onto our mob mentality, then I'm afraid no amount of conversation will ever move us forward.

The election of Donald Trump has sparked a series of protests. To be fair, some of these have been legitimately peaceful while others have degraded to a level of criminal activity. But no matter where protesters fall in the spectrum, it has been the election results that have unified them.

There are several things that concern me about this behavior. The first is that when we each register to vote, we agreed to the conditions in which our elected officials gain office. By claiming that Donald Trump is "not my president", a statement is either being made from ignorance or as a rallying cry to elect what is believed to be a legitimate candidate.

In the first case, there's no debate – Donald Trump will be the next rightfully and legally elected president of the United States. To say that he is not your president is just as effective as saying that God is not your God. You can say it or believe it is much as you want, but that doesn't make it true.

In the second case, you tread dangerously close to treasonous thinking. Many of us who are passionate about our beliefs have wondered, "how far does this have to go for me to actively join a rebellion against my government?"

It's the same question our founding fathers had to ask themselves when they committed treason against Britain in order to form the United States of America. Regardless of your beliefs and party affiliation, I hope that question is pondered in your mind based on your love for this country and its foundation in the Constitution.

Something else that disturbs me is how we progressed to the point that we are at today. There was certainly plenty of backlash against Trump from both sides of the aisle during the early election process. Leading up to the general election, the contest got downright ugly and supporters on both sides crossed lines that ought to never have been crossed.

But it wasn't until the election results were finalized that the anger and protest turned to the process itself. Many are angry that our country operates with the electoral college while others have simply – and rather loudly – decided that they refuse to acknowledge Donald Trump as a rightfully elected president.

Let me try to help you understand what this looks like from my perspective. Donald Trump is seen as an offensive person by many people. I get that. However, the issue didn't seem to be his legal right to participate in the presidential election process. Members of both the left and the right did their best to discredit him, but in primary after primary, Republican voters seemed to say that they wanted something different by their vote. Though the established right did their best to stop him, he won the Republican nomination. His legal right to continue in the presidential election process was not in question at that point either – only the quality of his character, which is not a disqualifying factor.

During this entire time, members of both the left and the right along with various other parties went on with their established voting practices in order to give their chosen candidate the best possible opportunity for victory.

Then the results came out and both our country and the world were shocked and in some cases, appalled. The protesting that evolved against the system and in taking the form of the refusal to accept the results appears the same as an angry child who did not get his way.

Now I'm not saying that your feelings aren't valid – they absolutely are. Many of us were deeply afraid during this election process and quite obviously many are deeply disappointed in the outcome. But just like a loving parent treats an angry child, it's important to dig down to what is actually at the heart of the problem. And in this case, I would say it is me.

Let me explain.

I get that many of you do not like Donald Trump because of who he has been and who he currently is. The fact of the matter is that I feel the same way about Hillary Clinton. I'm not a huge fan of Donald Trump – he has some policies that I generally agree with, but I think the man is deeply flawed.

I was more afraid of what Hillary Clinton would do in office than I am of what Donald Trump will do now that he's been elected. Say what you would like about political convictions and how you should vote based on them, but the reality for many of us is that we voted in this election out of fear.

I view our Constitution in a similar way that I view the Bible. I believe the Bible is the inerrant word of God and that to understand the concepts that are not clear in the English language, we go back to the original language and historical context to understand the significance of each part. However, it is not up to us to help the Bible evolve. Written by an unchanging God who inspired the text, what was true back then must still be true now.

Constitutionally, I think we ought to take the same approach. Break down the original language and consider the historical context to understand what the Constitution's authors were setting up as the foundation for their country. Their convictions were strong enough to commit treason and while they set up a system that allows us to amend the Constitution, they did not instruct us to make it evolve into a system of laws that are unrecognizable compared to their original goal.

You see, I don't think the issue is so much that Donald Trump was eligible to become president as much as it is that people like me would vote for someone like him. The left seems to believe that a progressive march toward socialism is in the best interest of our country while those on the right wish to preserve a representative democracy. But these two paths diverge more and more every year. We struggle to pass regulations that will make our belief into law and force everyone to comply with it. But coercion is not freedom, my friends, it is slavery.

I believe in your right to hold your beliefs and values as closely as you want to. I believe in your right to disagree with my worldview and my faith. I believe that each one of us has incalculable value as proven by the incarnate son of God, Jesus Christ, and his blood that was shed for any who would believe in him. Ultimately, my freedom is found there at the cross. My hope is realized in an eternity made possible by Jesus. But that doesn't mean I don't seek peace and rest and comfort here and now.

I'm part of the problem because I refuse to comply with what the left demands I believe to be true. I'm part of the problem because I believe that there is absolute truth found in Scripture defined by the Creator of the universe.

Look, I'm not here to convince you that everything you hold dear is wrong. We can certainly talk about any of the issues as long as we can sit down rationally and calmly. But where you and I seem to refuse to agree is that I not only have the right to believe differently than you but that I have the right to live that out in every aspect of my life - including my political convictions.

You see, we are quickly reaching a point where many believe the definition of absolute right and wrong lies within the individual. Those that believe God defines right and wrong are at odds. Fundamentally, that is where we are divided.

I can tell you this - God isn't going to change his mind about who he is or what is right and wrong. The tides of social change will continue to ebb and flow with each new regulation, ruling, and election cycle. As our culture moves further away from the truth of Scripture, I will continue to be disappointed by the outcome.

Just don't expect me and my brothers and sisters in Christ to be okay with being told what to believe from any source that isn't fully Scripture based. You're always going to have pushback and lack of compliance. It's awfully hard to move someone who has a foundation built upon a rock. Not all of us are willing to float around on shifting sands.

To be honest, I think our country is headed down the road that we cannot turn away from. I think the train is moving too fast to stop. It's hard to imagine that this goes anywhere other than our country being split or the conservative right being bullied into a socialist form of government.

I hope that's not the case. I hope that intelligent, rational-minded people from the left, right, and center can sit down with open minds and calm hearts to push for the freedom that our founding fathers dreamed of. I hope that we can somehow rally around a new age based on respect and the freedom that comes with it instead of on hatred and restrictive regulations that make us pretend to play nicely.

But ultimately, I hope that I will hear "well done good and faithful servant" when my time comes, no matter what direction our country and this world takes.

What Happened to Tolerance?

The 2016 Presidential election will go down as one of the ugliest in our country's history. Honestly, I hope it is the ugliest and that we never see those that would seek the highest office in the land sink to this level again. The fact that they brought each of us with them in their own way and divided us as no external enemy every could speaks volumes to where we have come as a country.

For many years now, our society has preached tolerance and relativism – that what is right or wrong is up to each individual and that no one should have the right to get in the way of that personal freedom.

It sounds great on paper (and social media), but the same people preaching tolerance are showing their true beliefs through their words and actions in response to Donald Trump's win – or should I say Hillary Clinton's loss.

I woke up this morning and saw comments like “I don't know what I'm going to tell my children” and “How am I supposed to make it through today, much less the next four years?”

A lot of respect has been lost in this election cycle. Friendships and marriages have ended and we've further divided ourselves based on party affiliation. I'm guilty of the same thing. But what happened to tolerance in all this? What happened to live and let live?

The reality isn't that other thoughts and mindsets have been tolerated, it's that most people have simply driven those with a different viewpoint away from them. In this day and age, it's as simple as clicking “Unfriend” or “Unfollow”.

What's being exposed is not a reality of tolerance, but a realization that some things really do matter deeply. The disappointment many are feeling from the election results mirror the same disappointment others felt as their values have been eroded away in favor of “tolerance”. But it wasn't really tolerance, it was just pushing a different set of values under the guise of making it sound like something healthy.

We're all guilty of it on some level - myself included with a few scars to serve as a reminder of the compromises I've made.

So can we finally agree that tolerance isn't what the issue really is? Can we finally come to terms with the fact that people are flawed by nature and have different ideas of what is best for themselves, their families, and their country? Can we finally admit that there are social issues that we carry a deep level of hope in?

Now that many people are feeling deep disappointment because what they deeply believe and hope in isn't coming to fruition like the progressive successes of the past several years, maybe we can agree that tolerance isn't actually a good thing.

After all, wouldn't tolerance allow Trump supporters to revel in his victory, Johnson supporters to weigh their successes, and Clinton supporters to grieve openly all without continuing the attacks on each other?

Tolerance isn't love. At best it's indifference and at worst it's hatred. Tolerance ignores what is going on or idly sits by and allows things to happen without interference. Tolerance doesn't stop someone from experimenting with drugs, having sex with a minor, or voting for their chosen candidate without being swayed by the belief of others.

I think we can finally agree that tolerance wasn't really the word we were looking for. But the opposite of tolerance isn't intolerance. The opposite of tolerance is mercy.

God is not a tolerant God. As Creator of the universe, he designed each of us and has the right to decide what is right and wrong and how things should be on his earth – absolutely and with no input whatsoever from us.

But God isn't tolerant. God can't tolerate sin by his perfect and holy nature, but his response to it isn't intolerance – it was, and is, mercy.

We have each rebelled and chosen a path that separates us from him. The payment for our sin demands death – our death. There's not a single sin that deserves less. God doesn't strike us down the first time we step out line, punch our sister, or give a dirty look to our teacher.

He doesn't turn us to a pile of ash when we have an affair, cheat on our taxes, sell drugs, or kill someone when we take the wheel after drinking.

Because God is fully just and can't tolerate sin, it must be paid for and that's where Jesus comes into play. His death following a perfectly sinless life paid the penalty for anyone who will simply repent of their sin and claim the gift of grace and mercy offered at the cross.

God is merciful and gives us more than our fair share of opportunities to repent and turn away from our rebellion. He waits with open arms for us to simply turn around and take the first step back home – and then he runs to meet us rather than waiting with folded arms while we try to explain our actions away.

So while you digest the results of this incredibly heated election whichever way it went for you, remember it's okay if you're not feeling tolerant of what others think and believe politically. What we believe is incredibly important to each of us. Also keep in mind that responding with grace and mercy brings people together while intolerance – true intolerance – will only deepen the wounds and the divide.

As you process what is going on, try to stop looking at the other side of the isle as the problem and look to yourself. Reflect on what you believe, allow yourself to grieve, rejoice, or simply breathe a sigh of relief that it's finally over. Measure your response and consider how you might extend grace and mercy to those who think like you do and those that don't. Regardless of what you hoped for, you'll be part of the solution that finally begins to heal wounds and bring people back together.

American Idol

I will be the first to admit that this election season has absolutely worn me down. I've struggled greatly between my sense of patriotism and what I know to be true as a Christian. The more culture continues to evolve, the worse it gets. After all, I love my country and I'm grateful for the freedoms that I enjoy. More and more however, my Christian beliefs don't line up with the direction I'm seeing my country head.

It's not just a Republican vs Democrat vs Libertarian kind of mindset, it's the whole thing and I'm honestly struggling with how to wrap my head around it. One of the last things that I want to do is be seen as someone who's not patriotic. But that's when I got to thinking - what exactly does it mean to be patriotic?

Patriotism is defined as expressing vigorous support for one's country. When I consider patriotism, I immediately start to form images of our founding fathers, the way they formed our Constitution and started the American Revolution. Go to Russia or China or somewhere in the Middle East and those cultures have a deep sense of patriotism too - they’re also completely different from ours.

It's easy to think that American culture is the ideal for the world, but the reality is the rest of the world doesn't necessarily see things the way we do. This is a very basic idea, but it's one that we have a hard time grasping because we want to assume that we are right.

It's the assumption that we know what is right and what is wrong that gets us into trouble in the first place. For most of our country's history, we've lived with cultural ideals that more or less line up with Christianity. Those ideals have more than just come into question recently - they’ve come under outright attack. The left and the right no longer see eye-to-eye on very important topics and those claiming to be “progressive” have made it all but illegal to openly disagree with their agenda. The divide is so great that there's more than just a little bit of talk about a second American Revolution.

But what's crazy is there are gospel believing Christians who are going to vote Republican and there are those that are going to vote Democrat. So who's right?

The answer is neither one. In fact, we're not even asking the right question.

At what point did the United States of America become the new Israel or the country designated by for the Christian Church?

Our Constitution clearly delineates that there is a separation of church and state. It is something that our founding fathers felt important enough to build the foundation of our country on. So it's time to stop defining ourselves as Republicans, Democrats and Libertarians and start looking back to Scripture for real answers.

If you look carefully enough it scripture, you're going to find a scary truth - that American patriotism can easily turn into an idol. Take the Israelites for example. If their sense patriotism was so important to God, then surely they would have been able to celebrate it openly and immediately revolt against any country that would have wished to enslave or exile them.  

Yet that's clearly not the case. They spent more time as slaves and in exile than they did having their own country. As you read through Biblical history, you won't find one example where God told the Israelites to rise up against those in authority over them. They were expected to submit to the authority that was in place unless they were instructed to do something God forbade or to not do something that God commanded. The only Israelite rebellions we see in the Bible happen when they rebelled against God.

So where does that put us as Christians?

First, I think we need to recognize that our sense of patriotism is an idol to most of us (myself included). I love the idea of America and I love the ideals that our founding fathers put in place. However, the fact of the matter is most of those things are not guaranteed to us in the Bible -  what we call God-given rights aren’t necessarily so.

What we need to do is separate those American ideals from what we are taught in Scripture and make sure that we are following God's law to the best of our ability. The vast majority of what Jesus taught is relational to the people around us - not necessarily a global or national system.

Keep in mind that one of the major things that Jewish people got wrong when Jesus showed up was thinking that the Messiah was going to take over and put them back in power. Not once did Jesus ever tell his disciples to expect political power.  What he taught involved how much God loves us as individuals.  In fact, the entire Bible points to Jesus as the substitute that was required to redeem us from our sins, not to place Christians in position of political power.

So yes, I love America and I'm very sad to see the direction that our country seems to be heading. But if I stay stuck on this idea of what America was or what I think America was intended to be, I miss my identity all together.  I am a sinner saved by grace and redeemed by Jesus Christ. My loyalty is to him, he bought me with a price and I belong to him.

It's a very tough reality for me to think that patriotism and Christianity don't go hand-in-hand. But as our country continues to evolve, I can't blindly follow. It's up to us as Christians to dive into Scripture and see what's really there. You'll find that there's not a command to rebel, but rather to submit to authority.

Furthermore, in Galatians 5, Paul remind us about the fruits of the Spirit. “But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law.” The very things the Bible tells us are indicators of the Spirit living in us (that we’ve become truly converted Christians) also tell us there is no law against them.

I don't think there's anything necessarily wrong with having a sense of patriotism whether that's a sense of where we're headed or a sense of where we've been. But I do think it's wrong to tie the love of America on either side as an indication of Christianity.

So I would encourage you to participate in our election process, to petition government officials, and peacefully protest the ideals that you believe in within the bounds of the law. After all, those are rights that we are given by our Constitution and it is a blessing from God that we live under it. However, I would also encourage you to remember that we are first and foremost Children of the one true God and secondarily Americans. Only by understanding where our identity truly lies will we be able to anchor our hope in our unchanging God rather than the shifting sands of social progression.

Is Being Unequally Yoked Really a Warning About Marriage?

If you've been around Christian circles much, you've likely heard the warning against being “unequally yoked.” Perhaps you've even been burned in a relationship by it as good Christian boys and girls are encouraged to only date and marry other believers. But what does the Bible really say? Is this just another Christian cliché used to keep bad boys away from good girls?

Let's look at the actual text.

Found in 2 Corinthians 6 and starting in verse 14, we read “Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever? What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are temples of the living God...” and the passage goes on to offer proof to the statement that we are temples.

The first thing that stands out to me is that there's no mention of marriage here. In fact, there's no mention of marriage in the entire chapter. That leads me to take a closer look at the term “yoked” since it seems to be a rather strange picture. In my admittedly limited research (some days I wish I was in ministry full time so I could spend more effort on research), this is a pretty direct translation. Agriculturally, it would be a warning not to put, say, an ox and a donkey on the same yolk.

When I looked at different commentaries, there were certainly different interpretations, including one popular commentator that suggests Christians should even avoid friendships with non-believers. I don't know that it's quite that extreme, but wisdom grows with time and learning. The way I see it, being yoked with another is two people in partnership attempting to work together. If your goal is the same, it can work out pretty well. If your aims are different, it's going to be a struggle.

But what about the same goals for different reasons? For example, what about partnering with an LGBT group that opposes abortion? Motivation matters in this case. We believe abortion is wrong because of the evidence we find in scripture. Our hypothetical partners in this case have a foundation on shifting sand. Their support may swing the other way before long. Even if it doesn't, turn the conversation to what the Bible has to say about their lifestyle and see how well that partnership continues.

Paul also leaves us with several rhetorical questions. They may be rhetorical, but they are still thought provoking. Light and darkness? They don't get along. Light overpowers darkness no matter what. Darkness has to hide from the light in order to exist.

The righteous and lawless? One of you lives according the law and the other ignores it. You might play by the same rules for a little while, but sooner or later the criminal makes his own.

Believers and unbelievers? The absolute truth of God's word up against the shifting tides of social change. Again, they may line up from time to time, but it won't last.

The temple with idols? Placing other statues of gods in the place designated to worship the One True God. I don't know how your marriage works, but my wife should be concerned if I start posting pictures of exes all over the wall.

And maybe the strangest – Christ with Belial? Who or what is Belial? There are varying theories out there, but they center around the idea of being the personification of evil in the Old Testament and Paul is possibly attributing the name to Satan specifically here. Regardless, Jesus and Satan/evil personified are polar opposites.

One other thing I noticed, the text specifically states to not be unequally yoked with “unbelievers” - plural. Marriage is between one man and one woman, not multiple spouses.

What I'm getting out of this isn't the idea that this verse is specifically talking about marriage. It's broader than that but would include marriage as a form of partnership in which an unequal yolk would be damaging.

So for those of us who are Christians, this is more than just encouraging our children to avoid dating relationships and marriages with non-believers or pursuing them ourselves. We still have a responsibility to live in the world and be instruments God can use to reach the lost. This isn't a call to eliminate all relationships with non-believers. However, we should look carefully at each of the partnerships in our lives (or future opportunities) and determine if it is appropriate to maintain.

The Truth About Compromise

Standing up for the truth sometimes has consequences - we may be ridiculed, misunderstood, persecuted, or even killed. Most of the time, at least in our country, standing and acting on truth (not speaking out on truth, but merely living based on it), does not cost us much. In fact, we Christians are often considered to be "good people" in the way we conduct ourselves, so long as we keep our beliefs to ourselves (but that's a conversation for another day).

Compromise, on the other hand, always requires payment. It must by its very definition and existence. To compromise is to give up something in exchange for something you want more. That can work to your advantage in business or the NFL draft. When it comes to the truth found in Scripture, it's not such a good idea.

When it comes to our personal lives, morals, and beliefs, compromise forces us to move from a strong foundation and trade it for something temporal. Compromise keeps its true cost vague and often lies about it. It puts something exciting and desirable squarely in front of you, usually with a sense of urgency that you'll lose the opportunity if you don't act quickly.

It's almost impossible to count the cost of compromise up front. Think about it - an under the table business deal becomes public knowledge and you're guilty of a felony with all kinds of lifelong consequences. You marry someone that's not a believer, leaving you divorced as a single parent, heartbroken, and with mountains of legal fees. That undetectable performance enhancer shows up on a drug screen, ending your college career and a shot at the pros. You can't put a price on compromise because it always charges you based on what could have been - a future that can now never be realized.

It's not only our lives that are rocked by compromise. We affect our friends and family - the ones we claim to love the most when we make decisions based on short term pleasure or gain. Those consequences have long reaching effects that can rarely be contained to a small circle.

Fortunately, God is a loving, faithful, gracious, and merciful God who is willing to take any one of us the moment we turn and repent. He's pursuing in ways we don't fully understand. It is out of gratitude for His grace through Christ on the cross that we choose to live as righteous as we can in our own flawed ways. We're not perfect and never will be this side of heaven.

Compromise is a pretty poor testimony for someone who claims to love Christ and be grateful for His sacrifice. It's certainly not that God can't turn those ashes into a beautiful testimony of His love - He can and He will to all those that belong to Him. However, the ends do not justify the means. We should strive to live righteous and holy. It is a struggle and we aren't always going to win the day, but there's no excuse to not try when God is working for us and through us with His Spirit.

Whatever you're on the verge of today, step back for a moment and consider what's been sacrificed for you. If you can see the compromise for what it is and turn away, praise God for the strength and vision to see the truth! If not, repent. Come back to the open arms of Christ and lay down at His feet. He's promised you rest and peace. He's promised to finish the good work in you that's been started.

Unraveling the Lies

In a society where, from the Christian perspective, the world seems to be spinning out of control, it is becoming more difficult to tell truth from lies. It's not that the lies are becoming too close to the truth. It's that the lies are trying to portray the truth as a lie – and they're getting really good at making us question what is actually right.

Even the church isn't immune. Progressive Christianity, the influence of liberalism, health and wealth preaching, focusing on creating a feel good worship experience – all of these things are thanks to the infiltration of lies into Christianity.

Here's an example from my own life. Like so many other people, I suffer from anxiety. It's not surprising. It's one of the things Jesus specifically hits on in the Sermon on the Mount, so I know I'm not the only one out there.

I want an AR-15. Where you and I stand on the gun debate is a conversation for another day. Something inside me has stirred the idea and desire to be prepared to protect my family from both the day to day concerns as well as in the event that something catastrophic happens and I need to protect them while the city/county/state/nation can stabilize and respond.

Saving the money to purchase this gun and to have a reasonable store of ammo to train and defend with has consumed me of late. I'm reading gun reviews, preparation articles, training tips, and anything I can get my eyes on to better understand what I'm getting into.

Making matters worse is the current political climate. It's stressful enough to consider if we're really heading toward socialism, if smaller government can ease tension, and whether or not there really is a separation of powers for checks and balances. Not to mention the news media doesn't make things any better with their coverage.

The point is, my mind gets consumed wanting to be fully informed and anxiety sets it over these things that I really can't control. Heck, maybe that is what's really lying at the heart of my desire to be prepared – simply wanting to be in control of more situations.

As I think through this, I'm taken back to what Jesus preaches about worry. Of course He tells us not to, but easier said than done, right? On the surface, yes. If we dig deeper though, there is truth to be found that's actually helpful.

The first thing we need to do is ask whether or not we trust that what Jesus taught us is true. I believe the Bible is true in its entirety, so that question is already answered. If it's there, it's true.

If what I read in Scripture it true, then the voices I'm hearing that are contrary must be telling me a lie, even if it's only partially false. This is where you need to consider with an open mind, open heart, and open Bible. Turn off all the distractions – they will kill your ability to really think through the issue. Bring in a like-minded believer to help talk and muddle through the muck.

Every sin I've committed or considered boils down to either pride or fear. Anxiety is an easy one – it preys on your fear. I'm afraid that politicians will take away or limit my ability to defend my family with the use of a gun. I'm afraid that without a gun, a home invader, car jacker, rapist, or looters during a period of unrest will try to commit heinous crimes against my family. I'm afraid of not having enough to live the kind of lifestyle that I'm comfortable with. That's only the beginning.

There's some pride there as well. There's confidence in knowing I'm prepared. I know my son thinks it's pretty cool that Dad has the tools and the knowledge to take care of his family in the event something bad happens. It's easy to look around with my chest puffed out and think of myself as the alpha male among the lion pack.

With fear, I'm taking what God has promised to do for me – sustain me, fulfill me, provide for my eternity, protect me – and saying that I don't trust Him to fill His end of the bargain. Pretty bold statement about someone who became human to live perfectly and die to cover my sin.

The pride says “I can do it better than God”. Pretty bold statement for someone who has an incalculable debt to be repaid and doesn't have a prayer of doing it on his own.

Discovering the pride or fear that sin is relying on to live in us allows us to see the lie and how it is being used to pull us away from God.

Think of it this way – a smartly dressed gentleman knocks on the door and asks if he can talk to you about life insurance. You've been thinking you need some, so you invite him in to talk with you and your spouse.

A week later your house is robbed and your most valuable possessions taken. The only fingerprints the officers find are the salesman's, but they're in places you never allowed him to go. When there was a life insurance salesman sitting at your table, there was no problem. If you would have seen him for the thief he was, you never would have let him in.

It's the same with sin. When we can recognize it for what it is, we're a lot less likely to let it in the door. If we already have, we can kick it right to the curb.

Is it wrong to own a gun, be prepared, hope for a spouse, prepare for retirement, buy a home, or participate in triathlons? Of course not. The problem comes in when those good things that God has been gracious enough to allow us to enjoy consume us to the point that we are really worshiping them or their pursuit instead of God Himself.

The response when we catch ourselves believing the lie or hear something that doesn't sit quite so well with us is to put it up against the truth of God's word and break it down to pride or fear. Once we can see the lie for what it is, the easier it will be to take God at His word and trust Him to help us overcome it.